Burn
by Wynter Phoenix
Summary: Eris and the remaining survivors finally made it off that God-forsaken planet only to run into more trouble in the form of a merc ship, helmed by a psychopath. How will they manage to get out of this one? Continuance to Under the Summer Rain, a Dark Fury filler. Riddick/OC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here it is! We're starting Dark Fury and I apologize that the first chapter is a little short, but this won't be a long story so I'm kind of trying to draw it out a bit. Thank you everyone who reviewed** _ **Under the Summer Rain**_ **and put it on their favorite story lists! It seriously makes my day to still get email alerts. : ) I haven't updated the Tumblr account in a while, but I'll get on that sometime this week. The link is in my bio. Now, onto the story and the usual disclaimer: I don't own Riddick or Dark Fury. If I did, I'd be so, so happy. And rich. But I'm not, so there.**

 **Chapter 1**

I smothered a yawn with my hand as I shuffled back to the front of the skiff. Imam decided to take a small nap about an hour ago and when I vacated my seat to use the bathroom, a bored Jack decided to occupy said seat beside Riddick and seemed to be intent on talking the poor man's ear off. I shook my head slightly, smiling. The girl's hero worship was cute, even if Riddick didn't think so.

"Move," I said, not unkindly. Jack looked up at me and stood, laughing.

"You look like death warmed over, Eris," she teased, slipping around me to sit in the seat behind mine.

"Yes, thank you for stating the obvious," I drawled, sarcasm lacing my words. "I'm fucking exhausted."

Jack started laughing again and I flipped her my middle finger as I sunk into my seat. A tired Eris did not play well with others.

We had been flying for a couple of hours now and the atmosphere onboard was one of relief. We were relaxed, basking in the joy of being _alive_. We didn't discuss the nightmarish planet that had, thankfully, quickly faded behind us. That topic was still too raw. Instead, we talked about the next step - what we were going to do when we finally landed.

Imam planned on taking a small sabbatical and had invited us all to join him in some down time, which really translated to 'recovery' time. Jack immediately warmed to the idea, begging Riddick and I to join them. I only committed to a week at the most, hedging around her question as to why I wouldn't stay longer. I still had business to attend to, something that I had only shared with Riddick back when Johns had tied us together. My brother was out there somewhere and I planned on finding out where and why the hell he had just up and left. I'd probably tell the other two about my plans later, but I just didn't feel like telling the whole story right now. I was way too worn out - emotionally, mentally, and physically to deal with it.

Jack had turned her sights on the convict, an expectant look on her face as she waited for his answer. He shook his head in exasperation.

"One night," he had said, not looking too thrilled when the young girl jumped up and gave him a hug. Imam and I had shared a smirk, the dark skinned holy man coughing to cover his chuckles while I had laughed outright.

After the initial departure we had searched the small skiff for anything to get cleaned up with. Luckily, or not so luckily actually, the settlers must have been in the middle of loading when all the shit went down years ago, because we found cloths, water, and some vacuum sealed food. There weren't any clothes, so we made due with getting ours as clean as possible. The bottom half of my black tank was a state, so I just cut the whole bottom half off, leaving my midriff bare. A small pile of rags sat in a corner, covered in all the mud we had wiped off our faces, arms, and clothes. A few rags had blood on them from Riddick re-wrapping his bandages and me cleaning out the few scrapes I had gotten from our last run to the skiff. I shook out my sad excuse for a braid and Jack had helped me wash most of the mud out of my hair. I was glad I didn't have a mirror, because I was sure I probably looked like Medusa.

Settling into my seat, I turned sideways and slung my legs over the arm rest, my boot clad feet inches away from Riddick's right arm. _So tired…_ I tuned out Jack's incessant chattering to a now awake Imam behind me and focused on the large man beside me. His goggles were in place, removed only when he got cleaned up, and he was thoroughly engrossed in the maps drawn up on the screen in front of him.

We hadn't spoken much to each other, but then again having any type of private conversation was going to be almost impossible unless the other two were asleep. _What would you even talk about anyway_? I thought, frowning slightly. _I can see it now. 'Hey Riddick, now that we aren't running and fighting for our lives, you wanna get all cuddly and shit?'_ I inwardly scoffed at myself. The thought of the Big Bad cuddling was so ludicrous I was hard pressed to hold back a snort.

Sighing, I drew my long hair over one shoulder and mindlessly combed my fingers through the dark tresses, trying to get most of the snags out. Giving up, I wove it into a sloppy braid and tied off the end. Feeling a familiar heavy gaze on me, I looked up to meet Riddick's covered eyes.

" _What?_ " I mouthed, raising an eyebrow.

One corner of his lip curled upwards into his trademark smirk and I gently shook my head, smiling. His arm almost playfully nudged my feet before he turned his attention back to the maps. There'd been zero physical contact since I had originally doctored his wounds and I was starting to wonder if maybe he had lost interest. _Then again, maybe it was because of your Medusa hair_ , I mused. I wasn't sure what would happen between us, if anything, now. The reasons for us being thrown together were gone, though I knew the need still lingered. Secretly, I hoped that something might happen during his one night stay when we reached New Mecca, before he left. _Probably for good_.

"Go to sleep, Eris," Riddick rumbled, startling me out of my reverie.

"Mmhmm," I grumbled, crossing my arms and leaning my head against the back of the seat.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, I really did, but it seemed that I was _too_ tired to sleep. My body certainly wanted to drift off to dreamland, but my mind had other ideas. Jack and Imam were talking in the back with low voices, no doubt keeping it down after Riddick 'ordered' me to take a nap. _This isn't very comfortable_ , I thought, jiggling one foot and shifting in my seat. One ass cheek was numb, causing my leg and foot to get the annoying pins and needles feeling. I probably could've asked one of the others to switch seats so I could lay down in the back, but I childishly refused to be parted from the large man beside me. That time would come soon enough and in the back of my mind I knew I most likely wouldn't be seeing him again afterwards.

"Can't sleep, Big Bad," I finally sighed, opening my eyes. "Too wound up still, I guess."

He gave a noncommittal grunt and I rolled my eyes, gently toeing his arm with my boot. If it had been Simon I would've kicked him harder, but this was Riddick and I was hesitant about acting too familiar with him.

"So," Jack popped up in between us, drawing out the 'o'. "A lot of questions, whoever we run into. Could even be a merc ship."

"Where in the world did this train of thought come from?" I asked her.

"I dunno," she replied, leaning against my seat. "I just thought about it while I was talking to Imam. I mean, we know what we're going to do when we get to New Mecca, but what happens if we come across another ship before then?"

"I told her the likelihood of that was slim," Imam piped in.

"Yeah, 'cause that's the last fucking thing I want to deal with," I said dryly. "I really just want to step foot on a sane planet, get a nice hot bath, change my clothes, and sleep in a comfy bed. Is that too much to ask for?"

"But it _could_ happen," Jack argued. "Right, Riddick?"

I looked at Riddick, his face giving nothing away. _Seriously, does he only have, like, three facial expressions?_

"It could, but I doubt it," he eventually agreed, shrugging a shoulder.

"See?" Jack gave me an 'I told you so' look.

"You guys _do_ realize that you just jinxed us?" I pointed out, only half joking.

"I didn't take you for the superstitious type, Eris," Imam remarked.

"Oh, I'm not," I assured him. "It's just Murphy's Law, plus we all seem to have pretty shitty luck."

The other two laughed, Riddick even cracking a small smile for all of five seconds.

The humor quickly evaporated when the skiff shuddered and swerved, sending Jack to the floor. Without even looking, Riddick grabbed my legs to keep me from falling out of my seat, letting go when I righted myself. Alarms started blaring and flashing red emergency lights kicked on. In my peripheral vision I saw Imam help Jack off the floor, but my attention was focused on a swearing Riddick as he rapidly flipped switches, the ship's gauges going haywire.

" _Hull breach contained. Engines operating at 170% capacity,"_ the computer announced.

"What the _fuck_?!" I ground out, swinging my legs back over the armrest so I could sit up.

"Something's got us," Riddick said shortly, continuing his work at the controls. Buttons were being pushed and switches flipped so quickly I could barely keep up…and I was sitting right next to him. The gauges were revving nearly off the charts. I glanced over my shoulder - Imam and Jack were standing close, alarmed.

" _Engine and hull failure imminent under current parameters,_ " the computer droned.

I worried my lower lip with my teeth, the alarms still blaring, lights still flashing. Imam was handling his prayer beads so hard I could hear them clacking together and felt more than heard Jack's short, terrified gasps behind me. There was nothing we could do except sit and watch Riddick try to maneuver us away from whatever or _whoever_ had us.

" _Critical systems failure in five seconds,_ "the computer announced, somewhat unnecessarily. " _Four seconds. Three seconds."_

Riddick began powering down the skiff, his face full of intense concentration.

" _Two seconds. One second."_

The ship went dark and I stifled a gasp, Jack latching onto my arm.

Shitty luck, indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's another chapter for y'all! Thank you for the reviews and follows/favorites already! *happy dance* A quick note, in** _ **Under the Summer**_ **Rain I had Riddick's age at 36 (which is his proper age), but I've decided to change it to 34 for my stories instead. So, Eris is 22 and Riddick is 34 throughout Pitch Black and Dark Fury. Alright, onward! Let me know what you guys think! (Oh, I don't own Pitch Black/Dark Fury/Riddick. Boo.)**

 **Chapter 2**

The interior of the skiff was lit dimly from the light of the multitude of stars outside, so at least we weren't sitting in total darkness. Again. Jack and Imam sat back down in their seats, Riddick forming his hands into a steeple.

"First you're a boy, then you're a girl, and now you're a psychic," he remarked, glancing at Jack and drumming his fingers together. "Careful what you wish for, Jack."

She just blinked and smiled sweetly, looking up as a man's voice came over the intercom.

"Unidentified craft, state your purpose and contents."

No one spoke, all of us staring at Riddick for direction. He remained silent, the unknown man repeating his message two more times, his impatience obvious by the last time.

"Name's Johns," Riddick finally answered. "My ship got scrapped on a transport run. The only other survivors from the whole mess are with me. Outside of that we got nothing."

"Tell me, Mr. Johns, what brings you to this lonely corner of space?" the unknown voice asked. The voice was low and smooth, oily almost. One that wasn't to be trusted.

"I'm a bounty hunter," Riddick replied.

"Then it appears we have something in common."

We waited with bated breath, hoping our ruse had worked. A few tense moments later, the skiff jerked and I knew we were fucked.

"They're reelin' us in!" Jack gasped.

I swallowed nervously, but didn't say anything. Johns had been a dick, but he was only one merc and fairly easily handled. If this was a ship full of them we'd be in trouble. I'd heard plenty of gruesome stories and had almost learned firsthand what happened to women captured and brought aboard. The two assholes that had tried with me met with an…untimely end, and I figured that I'd be able to handle myself well enough, but Jack was my concern. Just because she was young didn't mean a thing. Not to mention Riddick's large bounty.

My face must have betrayed my worry, because Riddick reached over and almost gently grasped my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"That _won't_ happen," he said lowly as the skiff came to a stop and everything went black. He released me and I heard the sound of a lighter flicking one, twice, and on the third try a flame sputtered to life, the dancing flames reflecting in his goggles. He stood and moved past me, searching. Bending over, he straightened back up, a cutting torch in his other hand. Jumping the flame, he placed the torch close to the fire sensor overhead.

"No offense," Jack said skeptically, "but I don't think that's gonna cut it against whatever it is that's coming for us."

"It gives us the element of surprise," he explained calmly. "Eris get over here."

Slightly confused, I nonetheless acquiesced and rose out of my seat, sitting beside Imam.

"Hold your breath."

 _Oh, no…_

We heard multiple voices outside the skiff and I sucked in a deep breath just as the inside filled with extinguishing foam, the cutting torch burning out. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried not to panic. The last thing I wanted was a lung-full of foam. _I don't even give a shit right now, these fuckers had better hurry up and open the damn door!_ I thought, my heartbeat speeding up.

I heard a voice right outside the door, so I pulled my shiv out of my armband, my movement hindered by the foam. It seemed like ages, but in reality only a couple of seconds later that the door burst open sending us outside the skiff in a huge pile of fluffy crap. I felt my air supply running low, so I waded through, trying to find where the foam ended and air began. My head broke through what was apparently the front and I gasped, drawing in a large breath of sweet air.

I hurriedly assessed the situation: We were in a large hangar - Riddick had left us and was currently busy cutting through a large group of mercs. He seemed to be kicking ass, as usual, though this was the first time I'd seem him do it with humans, not monsters. _May as well be the same thing_ , I thought grimly, quickly ducking back inside when bullets started raining in my direction. Feeling a body brush my leg, I moved away unsure if it was one of the others or one of Riddick's casualties.

Amid the shouting and screaming, I heard Jack's clear voice yelling something at someone before she was abruptly cut off. Worried that something had happened to her, I resurfaced only to shriek in surprise when I was grabbed and thrown to the ground, my shiv knocked out of my hand. Landing on my back, I looked up to see the butt of a gun pointed at my head. My eyes traveled further up to see, albeit upside down, a tall, dark haired man dressed in a creepy white coat and green glasses, a slightly surprised expression on his pale face. _He was expecting Jack, not me._ That's _who she was yelling at. Damn girl._

"I think not."

It was the unknown voice from earlier.

"Think not what?" I snapped, freezing when he lightly pressed the gun closer, something pointy jabbing my forehead. _Fuck._

Bodies were floating everywhere so I surmised we must be in zero gravity. I didn't see Jack or Imam anywhere and hoped they were still in the foam. A movement to the left caught my attention and, trying not to move my head, I strained to see who else was on the ground.

 _Riddick._

He was kneeling on the ground, holding down a merc by the throat. _Probably the last one alive_ , I thought, beads of sweat forming at my hairline.

"Call off your lap dog, before his trying to impress you gets him killed," Riddick drawled.

I couldn't see who he was talking to from my position on the ground and I didn't dare try.

"Am I so obvious?" a woman asked, sounding amused. I twitched in surprise, the creepy asshole applying more pressure on my forehead, but not enough to break the skin. Yet.

"Call it what you want, but tell him to stand down, now," Riddick answered with the tiniest hint of a warning.

A sharp staccato echoed throughout the hangar and I guessed the woman had stepped closer, wherever she was, and that she was wearing heels.

"Allow me to introduce myself," she said, her accent unfamiliar to me. I heard Riddick snarl and if I wasn't in my current situation, I would've rolled my eyes. "My name is Antonia Chillingsworth. You'll have to excuse Jenner's excitement-" so _that_ was creepy dude's name "-it sometimes makes him a touch…quick. Though I can't say I blame him. You see, he's just heard so much about you, Riddick."

Riddick's back was towards me, so I couldn't see how he took this new development.

"Yes, I know your name," Chillingsworth continued. _Well, that answers my question._ "Quite a bit more about you, I think."

"Careful. You may find what you're digging for," the convict advised, his tone far from friendly.

"I'm willing to share, of course, but I must ask that you surrender your weapon…before any more of my apparently overpaid associates…come to an untimely end."

The way she spoke was very polished and refined, but something was just _off_ about her.

Riddick apparently already had an answer. "Mmm. Not gonna happen."

"No?"

Jenner looked down at me, his finger tightening on the trigger.

"I dare you," I hissed, glaring up at him. I could've sworn I saw his one eye twitch behind his glasses.

"Don't tempt me," he returned smoothly, pressing down slightly.

After dealing with the craziness of the last freaks we ran into, my common sense had obviously abandoned me. At this point though, I really didn't care. These people were nothing compared to the bloodthirsty creatures that had chased us nonstop, ready to rip us to shreds.

"The girl is nothing to me," Riddick bluffed. At least, I hoped he was bluffing. _You'd better be fucking bluffing, dickhead._

"Then enlighten me," Chillingsworth demanded. "Why would a stone-cold killer such as yourself go to all the trouble of keeping the likes of her, a woman, not a girl, alive? Unless of course, you've grown attached."

Her tone of voice had turned sly towards the end and I knew she wasn't buying it. Riddick looked towards me and I stared back, not even sure what I was trying to convey to him. _How about, don't let me get killed? Yeah, that sounds like a good start._

"She's a fuck, nothing more," Riddick said, turning back around. Even though I knew he was lying, (I hoped, since I hadn't even gotten to fuck him. Yet.) it still stung. "You shoot her now, and you'll be saving me the trouble."

"Then I have your blessing," the woman said dispassionately.

 _I'm going to fucking die,_ I realized as Jenner squeezed, the trigger clicking ominously. A whistling noise caught my attention and I yelped when a familiar shiv embedded itself into the side of the gun, forcing it up and away from my head.

Retreating staccato and Chillingsworth's smug voice floating back," Maybe I know more about you than you do yourself."

"Now just ain't the time," Riddick growled. I heard a groan and a sickening crack, recognizing the sound of a neck snapping.

"Lock them down. We're done here."

Jenner lifted his gun away from my head and I reached up, feeling a small spot of blood.

"Asshole," I muttered, quickly grabbing my forgotten shiv and tucking it away before clambering to my feet as more mercs filed into the hangar. Quite a few grabbed Riddick, while others broke off to grab Imam and Jack out of the foam, one carrying the young girl by the back of the shirt. Two burly mercs grabbed each of my arms and we were marched into a corridor, Jenner and Chillingsworth discussing who knows what behind us.

 _This is just great,_ I thought sourly as we were led away.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Finally, another chapter! Sorry it took so long…life happened, along with my accident prone husband. *rolls eyes* Big thanks to everyone who has added 'Burn' to their favorite/follow list - I seriously didn't expect so many people to like it. To everyone who reviewed: You are awesome. Individual thanks will, of course, be posted to the Tumblr account (link in my bio). This one's a little short, but I wanted to get something out for y'all; more of a filler chapter. Without further ado, Chapter 3! Oh, and the usual disclaimer that I don't own Riddick or the franchise. Wish I did.**

 **Chapter 3**

We were escorted into a room not far from the hangar where Riddick was ordered to lay on a metal table, immediately being strapped down and rendered immobile by two of the mercs, the others keeping their guns steadily aimed at the smirking convict. They obviously weren't taking any chances this time around. _A little too late_ , I thought, inwardly rolling my eyes.

Once Riddick was secured they moved on to us, slapping cuffs on our wrists. I discreetly tested their strength; we weren't breaking out of these any time soon.

"Move," a merc ordered, prodding Imam with his gun.

They wheeled Riddick out first and we followed, five watchful mercs leading the way down a long corridor, cryo-chambers lining either side. _How big is this ship?_ I thought, eyeing the high ceilings and walls, and then, _What the hell?_ Taking a closer look at the chambers, I realized they were all full of…bodies.

"Have you seen anything like this before?" Imam questioned Riddick, keeping his voice low. The mercs ignored us, seemingly unconcerned with us conversing.

"Merc ships?" Riddick replied. "Plenty. Just trying to figure out how it all goes together."

"You and me both," I muttered, knowing his mind had to be whirling, seeking answers, looking for weaknesses. The only thing I knew for certain was that this place wigged me out. The creatures had just plain scared me - this whole situation was creepy and it made me _very_ uneasy.

"It is a plantation operation," Imam divulged, surprising me. How did a holy man know about these things, especially when I didn't? "A boat like this loads up at port, signs on as many men as it can hold, then goes out for months, sometimes years at a time. However long it takes to fill their stores."

"Except a merchant rig's usually harvesting ore, maybe crops, not people," Riddick pointed out.

"Captured bounties on one side," Imam replied, motioning his head, "Contracted manpower on the other."

"Just add heat," Jack quipped, causing me to snort.

"You know a lot about this shit…for a holy man," Riddick remarked, voicing my previous thoughts.

Imam shrugged. "I hear things."

"Riiiight," I said skeptically, eyeing him. When he just shrugged again and smiled I knew he was going to keep mum on the subject.

We fell silent, our footsteps echoing around the seemingly never ending hallway. I wasn't necessarily complaining - who knew what was waiting for us at the end? The longer it took to get there, the better.

"Must be a special kind of desperate dick signs on to this," Riddick said suddenly, goading the merc walking next to Jack.

Before I could blink, the pig-faced man's rifle butt connected with the convict's face. "Shut up!"

"You're the exception, of course," he amended facetiously. "For you it's life experience."

I bit down on my lip - hard - to keep myself from laughing. Not that it didn't look fun, but I was going to leave the egging to the pro. Until I had a better handle on what the hell was going on here, I planned on keeping my mouth shut. Then again, I had a bone to pick with that assfuck Junner, so there was a slight chance of a change of plans.

We were finally nearing the end of the hall where more mercs waited when Jack whispered, "So, what's the plan? It's not like we haven't gotten out of worse. The way I see it, we can take these jerks when - hey!"

A large, redheaded merc grabbed her by the shoulder, cutting her off. "This is where we get off princess."

"You too, preacher," another one ordered, herding Imam towards Jack.

Refusing to be manhandled I took a step forward, intending on joining the other two, but came to a sudden halt when a hand roughly grabbed my arm. _So much for not being manhandled._

"Not you," the man barked, shoving me back towards the first group. Alarmed, my eyes shot to Riddick, the smallest hint of a frown flitting across his face. They were separating us…what game was being played here?

"I will pray," the holy man said, glancing between us.

I nodded my head once as Riddick replied, "Not for me."

The two groups parted, heading in opposite directions, our small band officially split.

"I won't leave without you guys!" Jack called out as she was led away, "I'll find you!"

I didn't bother to turn around, knowing it would be useless. Sparing a glance at Riddick, I saw the same concern I had on my face mirrored in his: Jack would make good on her promise, but would probably end up getting herself killed in the process. I felt a headache coming on and raised my hands to pinch the bridge of my nose.

The two of us were quiet as the mercs led us along a much shorter hallway than the last, and then into a large room where - surprise - Junner stood, waiting. _Fan-fucking-tabulous_.

"Set him down and leave," the tall man ordered coolly.

While the mercs quickly acquiesced and got to work on Riddick's bindings, I took a quick survey of the room. The lighting was crisp and held a bluish tint that reminded me strongly of the two suns from our previous planet. Human forms twisted into the most odd, grotesque shapes adorned the entire area, causing me to swallow nervously - from where I stood I couldn't tell if they were statues or real people.

A large, familiar presence rose to stand beside me, the mercs exiting the room with the holding table in tow. Frowning, I realized that we were both still cuffed. _Damnit_. Riddick popped his neck and jerked his head before descending the steps in front of us. Hoping he had some semblance of a plan, I followed behind, his body blocking mine.

The dark haired asshole waited for us at the bottom and gestured for Riddick to precede him further into the room. Purposely sidestepping, the convict dropped behind me to create a barrier between Junner and myself. _Good,_ I thought, sending mental daggers to the beanpole. Too bad they weren't real ones.

As we wandered deeper into the room, an imposing figure caught my attention and I moved closer to get a better look. With an almost morbid fascination I examined the male figure, feeling Riddick at my side as we studied the extremely life-like, very nude man..statue, whatever it was.

"Hmmm," Riddick rumbled.

There was a plaque beneath the structure that read, 'Killer of men. Furya'.

 _Furya…why does that sound familiar?_ I struggled to remember where I had heard that name before, but drew a frustrating blank.

"What are you doing?" I hissed at Riddick, noticing his extended hand in my peripheral vision. He didn't answer, just reached out a finger and touched the thing's lip, a tongue suddenly flicking out to meet the digit. I couldn't hold back the strangled squeal that weaseled out of my throat - it was _alive_!

"The hell…" Riddick breathed, withdrawing his hand. Junner was suspiciously quiet behind us and I glanced over my shoulder to find that he stood a few paces away, a smirk on his face.

I focused my attention back to the Furyan statue - no, _man_ \- as he slowly turned his head, Riddick and myself following his line of sight. I started when the large man at my side suddenly dropped down onto his knees and I stared in surprise at a red mark on his neck. I met Junner's gaze, a twisted grin stretched across his pale face, some kind of dart gun in his hand. _How did I not hear him?_ I fumed.

"All right," Riddick drawled, unhurriedly rising to his feet. "Now you have my attention."

"A necessary precaution," the refined female voice from the hangar said smoothly, the woman entering through a curtain. "You attempt anything uncivilized - killing me, for instance - I detonate the explosive charge Junner's just implanted and sleep well tonight. Walk with me."

Chillingsworth was tall, thin, beautiful; her long, white dress was alluring, accenting her larger chest and small waist, the fabric peek-a-booing in certain areas that had me raising my eyebrows. Pale skin and pale hair that hung down her back completed her ensemble, giving the woman an almost otherworldly look. I almost childishly, instantly hated her. _Nobody should look that fucking perfect_ , I growled inwardly. Then the logical side kicked inthrowing a, _Jealous much?,_ into the mix _._ I almost groaned aloud - now was _not_ the time for mental arguments, especially when I most certainly was _not_ jealous.

We started walking at a leisurely pace and I quickly cleared my head, trying to stay focused.

"You're not putting me on a pedestal," Riddick told her, his voice flat.

"No, of course not," Chillingsworth agreed, surprise on her face. I breathed a sigh of relief, then almost choked on my spit when she continued, "You're strictly for my private collection."

 _Fuck. I knew that bitch was crazy._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone! Christmas is next week so I wanted to push out at least one new chapter for y'all. Life has been absolutely nuts since my last update. Seriously. I could probably make a TV show out of it, it's so ridiculous. *sigh* Whatever. Anyway, I'll update the Tumblr account (snowflake13x) tomorrow, but since I only had one new review *coughmorereviewscomeonpeoplecough* I'll post my thanks here: Big thanks to Avon for reviewing! You actually kind of nudged me off my ass and moved me to update, so a big hug to you! Mood music for this chapter is Tritonal and Mr. FijiWiji - Seraphic. I might post a music video onto the Tumblr so you can listen. Usual disclaimer that Idon't own Riddick or anything along those lines.**

 **Chapter 4**

The four of us walked at a slow, leisurely pace, most of Chillingsworth's attention fixed on Riddick. Junner trailed behind us, a silent shadow. This woman was completely and utterly insane, and I had the sneaking suspicion that her second in command was in the same mental state, which did not bode well for us.

Chillingsworth was showing off her collection of statues - _people_ , I reminded myself - like a proud parent talking about some award their child received. There were men and women, most of them nude, in various shapes, sizes, and poses. Some were coupled together, most were individual pieces.

"Hmm, okay," Riddick mused, "You go through all the trouble to catch these guys, and this is what you do with them."

"You're missing the point," she chided, an almost impatient note to her voice.

"What point?" was Riddick's dry reply. "You got a million U.D.'s standing around collectin' dust."

She stopped next to a twisted pair and creepily petted them, a faraway look in her eyes. I felt my lips twist into an expression of disgust, but one look from Riddick wiped it off my face. _Keep it neutral_ , I reminded myself.

"You underestimate their value, Riddick," the crazy lady said softly. "They are priceless. Each, at one time, the most wanted man or woman in the known universe. The number of lives ended at the hand of those living and breathing in this room in incalculable."

"Ain't what I'd call living," the convict remarked. I swallowed, knowing Chillingsworth was lumping him in this group of statues and I began to see her plan. However, I still couldn't figure out why exactly I was here as well - by no means was I an experienced killer like Riddick, so why hadn't I been carted off with the other two?

She stepped away, pausing to gently stroke the face of a larger, fairly good looking male statue. Riddick and I shared a _'What the fuck?'_ moment before hesitantly trailing after her, Junner still quiet behind us. I didn't think I wanted to see the look on his face…I'm sure it would piss me off and I was already having a hard time keeping my emotions in check.

Turning my attention back to our hostess, I realized that she had moved forward again, entering into an adjoining room filled with even more statues, though these ones seemed more macabre. She stopped at curtained off, circular platform, and turned to face us.

"Just the same, I assure you they are all very much alive," she began her explanation and I automatically knew I wasn't going to like it. "Each one sustained in a form of cryo so profound…that second seem weeks…and to blink an eye is a day's work. The brain, however, continues to function unimpeded. The mind continues to think and feel, swarming with whatever dark thoughts it's trapped alone with, as it will be for hundreds of years." I felt my horror mounting the longer she spoke, beads of sweat reappearing on my brow; I had underestimated her level of crazy. When she paused, I had hoped she was finished with her spiel, but apparently I was wrong. "So much more fitting a fate than dropping them off at the nearest slam. Here, they are appreciated for what they truly are, transformed into objects on par with their lives' work. And why? Because I gave them the audience they so desperately desired, the recognition they bought with the blood of others, I understood their actions, stripped free of moral convention. Don't you see?" By this time she was almost pleading with the convict. "They're something greater now, Riddick. Something more than they ever were before…art."

Her eyes shifted towards me and I forced myself not to take a step back.

"Now, this one has potential, I can see it," she said, studying me. She stepped closer, circling me ever so slowly. "You've managed to get under his skin somehow" -she gestured towards Riddick - "proven earlier in the hangar."

I didn't say anything in my defense, because I had the sneaking suspicion she was right.

"You two would make a wonderful addition," she continued, skimming her fingers across my shoulders. I tried not to shudder. "The way I could position you would be simply marvelous. The Beast and his Beauty, so to speak."

She moved back to her original position beside the platform and looked at us expectantly.

"Lady, your taste sucks," Riddick said flatly. Her gaze met mine and I shook my head 'no'.

"I expected as much," she sighed, obviously disappointed. "Junner."

The tall man came forward and pressed a button on the remote control he held, lifting the curtains in front of us. We were standing on a balcony of sorts, a pit below us. Red lights illuminated the area, reminding me of blood. A handful of merc guards were stationed around the platform, including the one that hit Riddick in the face earlier. I didn't realize that I had stepped forward until the convict came up beside me, surveying, calculating. Chillingsworth joined him on the other side and he turned his head to look at her.

"You see, Riddick, there is a fundamental difference between you and I," she said softly, trying to get him to understand her logic. _Yeah, it's called 'bat-shit crazy' logic_ , I thought.

"Yeah. You're a psychopath," Riddick responded calmly. I giggled inwardly, ignoring my inner voice that told me I sounded slightly hysterical. _Great minds think alike_.

Chillingsworth placed her hands on his face and I tried not to think about snapping her fingers.

"You don't appreciate art," she admonished. "But I believe the reason for this is something very different than you or anyone else might think. You're an artist."

Riddick shook her hands off and stared at her.

"I've been called a lot of things in me day," he said, one eyebrow cocked. "That ain't one of 'em."

This time I couldn't help but let out a sharp laugh, ignoring the glare the tall woman sent my way.

"You make art, Riddick, not analyze it. You shape it with your own hands, carve it from flesh and bone." She studied us both and shook her head sadly. "But a man like you does not understand such a thing by being lectured. You must experience it."

She gestured to Junner, who turned off the bluish overhead lights, bathing everything in the red glow from the lights below.

"Oh, shit," Riddick muttered, stepping forward another pace to look down into the pit. I followed and swore when I saw Jack and Imam balanced on large balls, their hands still cuffed, with ropes around their necks. The lights made crazy patterns on the floor, making everything look weird.

Jack glanced up and half smiled at us. "I said I'd find you, didn't I?"

I sent her a strained smile, wondering how we'd be getting out of this one.

"Eris, look out!"

I turned at Jack's warning to find two mercs behind me, both grabbing my arms in a tight grip and leading me towards the side of the platform.

"Riddick!" I shouted, twisting and thrashing, trying to escape their hold, but to no avail. The large man took a step towards me before Junner blocked his way. "Fuck you assholes, let me go!"

Chillingsworth started talking again, but I couldn't hear what she was saying over the sound of our struggle. Wherever I was being taken, I was making sure I fought the entire way. Not that it was doing much good, of course, since there were two of them and one of little 'ole me, but damnit, I tried. The mercs led me down a staircase on the side of the platform and into the pit where another large ball was rolled out and situated under a hanging rope. _How did I miss that?_ I berated myself. _Stupid!_

The mercs shoved me up onto the ball and ordered me to put the rope over my head. I briefly thought about refusing, but quickly realized they'd probably have no issue about shooting me then and there, so I complied. From somewhere above, someone pulled a bit on the rope so it was snug around my neck. The two mercs laughed and walked away, heading back towards the platform.

"Hey guys," I said cheerily, smiling at Imam and Jack. "Long time no see."

"I think she's lost it," Jack whispered to Imam worriedly.

"I _can_ hear you, you know. I _am_ right here," I retorted, watching Riddick and Chillingsworth talk. I wasn't that good at reading lips, so I couldn't make out anything they were saying. "And I haven't lost it, I'm just putting on a good face for that crazy bitch up there and seriously hoping that Riddick has some sort of plan."

"You and I both," Imam muttered.

A large thud sounded behind two large doors a little ways from us and we all shared a look. I tried to keep my expression more worried than terrified for Jack's sake, but I didn't really think it worked too well. The doors slowly parted, shadows moving behind it. I shot a look up to the platform and noticed Riddick had his goggles atop his head. _Oh, shit, shit, shit, shit. Not good._ His shined eyes met mine and held. His were carefully blank while I knew mine had to be full of fear and desperation. All my joking aside, I was scared shitless. I saw a muscle in his jaw tick before he dragged his gaze away, focusing on the opening doors and whatever lay behind.

 _Alright lady, let's see what you got._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Ah, hi. Yes, it's been a while since I've updated and I'm sorry about that, but things went crazy there for a little while. I'll update the Tumblr tomorrow (snowflake13x) since I haven't really been on there either. A big thank you and lots of hugs and kisses to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed! There's a lot of action in this chapter, which was a bit hard to write. Things won't slow down in the next one either, so I don't really think we'll be getting to the feels until the end, or close to it. I didn't think it would be right to split the chapter, so it's a bit longer than usual. The usual disclaimer that I don't own anything, just Eris. Remember, r &r!**

 **Chapter 5**

Chillingsworth ordered two of her men to escort Riddick into the pit, but he had other plans, dropkicking the first merc that touched him and grabbing onto the second, fat one, pushing him over the edge of the balcony, the convict landing atop him. The merc didn't appear to be dead since his large stomach rose and fell with each breath, just knocked out.

"Go ultraviolet," the woman ordered, a groan making it's way out of my throat. I was getting awfully tired of being stuck in the dark, literally. The normal lights went out and we were submersed in a dark purple light, making it hard to see - the only consolation being that it wasn't complete darkness, where we'd be blind. Even with his unusual eyes, Riddick wouldn't be able to see in total blackness.

I sucked in a breath as the doors opened completely and I felt my right eye twitch just a bit. _What. The. Fuck._ Two creatures slithered through the doorway, one glowing with a purple hue, the other green. They had no faces, but what looked like a brain in the center of their oval bodies (or what I would consider a body of sorts) where their glow emanated and lots of tentacles - those were hard to see though, because of the light or lack thereof.

"I was on a pilgrimage," I heard Imam mutter, "Just a pilgrimage."

"This is bad, huh?" Jack asked, all trace of her earlier bravado gone.

"Give it a minute," Riddick answered.

"Wait, what?" I hissed incredulously. "A minute? More like right fucking now!"

I was trying my hardest to not panic, but that game plan wasn't working out as well as I hoped.

"Imam," Riddick murmured, keeping his gaze on the slowly advancing creatures, "Pray."

Oh, shit. This was bad, very bad. I heard a loud groan and could barely make out the dim shape of the merc who had definitely woken up at the wrong time. He rose and quickly realized where he was as the creature's tentacles suddenly lit up, slashing through the air.

"Fuck!"

A burst of gunfire startled me, causing me to almost lose my footing on my ball. Bullets ricocheted off the metal walls, small sparks lighting up the dark and I really hoped none of them would hit us. The creatures went completely dark and everything was silent for about 30 seconds, before we heard an agonized scream. They relit, revealing the merc suspended in the air by the green one, tentacles wrapped around his hands and lower body.

Another tentacle lashed out with something pointy on the end, sticking him. Eyes wide and my horror mounting, I watched as he literally melted in front of us, his gooey remains (well, what was left) hitting the floor with a wet slap. I bit on my bottom lip until I tasted blood; I would not, could not lose it. This was almost as bad as the other shit from the planet we crashed on and once again, Riddick was the only one that would be able to get us out of it - I was starting to lose count of how many times he'd saved my ass.

Jack gasped and I quickly turned my attention back to the scene in front of me. Well, what I could see of it. The creatures were moving in, the light in their tentacles going on and off like strobe lights. It was almost like being in a club and I quickly remembered why I hated going - the constant, short transition from light to dark made it almost impossible to see anything clearly and gave me a headache.

The three of us gasped when a purple tentacle whipped dangerously close to Riddick's face, the convict turning his head just in time. It struck out again, this time Riddick grabbing hold. He was lifted into the air, then tossed into Jack's ball. He landed with a grunt, Jack giving a strangled scream. Thinking quickly and being closer, Imam rolled his ball over to her until she was able to stand, taking her weight off of the collar around her neck.

Riddick got up and went back after the purple creature, the green one pausing, then turning towards Jack and Imam.

"Hey! Over here!" I shouted, using all the strength I could muster to push my ball, sending it rolling directly into the creature that had turned at my yell. Quickly grabbing the rope to keep myself from being strangled, I watched as the ball sent it tumbling backwards and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Uh, Eris?" Jack ventured, her voice quivering. "I think you made it mad."

"No shit," I snapped, trying to focus on holding myself up. _This wouldn't be so hard if my hands weren't chained!_ "Fuck!"

I inwardly cursed the stupid bitch watching us up on the balcony, along with her creepy henchman for doing this to us. I knew it was obviously more about Riddick, but since we were currently saddled with him, it meant we were stuck, too.

Tentacles and lights continued to flash, Riddick dodging and weaving flawlessly around the purple creature, the green one heading in my direction once again.

"Eris, we can help!" Imam urged, but I shook my head.

"No," I ground out. There wasn't enough room on a ball for three people and there was no way he'd be able to hold his and Jack's combined weight for long. My hands, slick with sweat, slipped on the rope and my gasp turned into gagging as my air supply was abruptly cut off.

"Eris!"

Through my struggle to breathe I saw Riddick neatly evade a glowing tentacle before jumping onto the back of the green creature, launching himself forward to slice the rope that was doing an excellent job of strangling me. I dropped to the ground with a graceless thud, and then staggered to my feet, my breathing slowly returning to normal.

"Get the others," Riddick ordered, turning back to deal with our very large problem.

They had taken my shiv and large knife, but thankfully hadn't checked my boots. I swiftly pulled out a blade and ran to Imam and Jack, tossing it to the holy man. He made quick work of their ropes, both hopping down to stand beside me. He offered me my knife, but I told him to keep it for now. "You may need it and I have another one."

"Stay together," Riddick threw over his shoulder.

"We cannot see!" Imam exclaimed.

"You don't want to," came the low reply.

Imam was right, though, about not being able to see. The creatures kept flashing their lights at such a rapid pace it skewed our vision. It was completely up to Riddick, his large frame silhouetted against the vivid flashes. The way he kept weaving in and out of their deadly path reminded me of when he killed the monster that had almost gotten me, back in the canyon…it looked like a dance.

The three of us gasped in unison when a tentacle struck out and Riddick raised his chained hands right in it's path, shattering them.

"You wanna go?" he asked, pointing his shiv in their direction, his voice holding a promise of pain. "Let's go."

One of them slung a tentacle his way, Riddick quickly sidestepping and slicing it off. The creatures paused, clearly not expecting this new development.

"They're gonna kill him!" Jack cried, lunging towards the convict. Imam grabbed her shirt, hauling her back.

"Don't distract him, Jack. He's got this," I muttered, not taking my eyes off the scene in front of me. _I sure as hell hope he does or we are royally fucked._

The creatures and Riddick had stopped. Waiting. A stalemate of sorts. The grotesque pair suddenly went dark, a chill running down my spine. My ears strained for any sign of the damned things, any sound…there! Jack heard it at the same time and gasped, Riddick immediately reacting to her inadvertent warning. Moving with almost blinding speed, he thrust a ball at the injured creature, following behind in time to slice the thing open.

We all paused, surprised that it actually went down and _stayed_ down.

"No!" Jack suddenly shouted, Riddick spinning around to find the other one almost on him. Imam struggled to hold the girl back, but I ignored them, my heart sinking as the creature managed to finally catch the convict.

"Jack!" Imam's voice brought me back. The foolish girl broke out of his grasp and ran over to grab one of the tentacles lying on the ground. Using it like a whip she snapped it through the air, the end wrapping around the creature's neck, or whatever it was.

"Godammit, Jack," I snarled, running up behind her to help pull. Grunting with the effort, we managed to at least temporarily draw it's attention away from Riddick. Like I said, _temporarily_. With an easy flick, Jack and I were knocked away like rag dolls, our landing no where near soft.

I groaned as I slowly rose to my feet. I had landed on my side and my ribs were protesting my movement. Gently running my fingers along my side, I surmised that they weren't broken, probably just bruised, but to what extent I couldn't tell. _Great._

"Riddick!" I turned, Jack close enough that I could see the shiv in her hand.

The convict dodged the creature's injector, a tentacle falling to the ground. _Oops. Stupid thing cut it's own arm off._

"Here!" he shouted, reaching out.

Jack threw it, my eyes glued to the glint of steel as it flipped through the air, landing perfectly in Riddick's outstretched hand. I let out a breath I hadn't know I was holding, watching the man maneuver himself and the blade in a position to not only cut another tentacle off, but get into the creature's center. With a bright flash of light, the creature went down and the pit was plunged into darkness.

The sound of clapping grated on my already frayed nerves and I gritted my teeth as the lights came back on. Jack was curled up on her side a few feet away from me, while Imam and Riddick were both kneeling a bit farther away. The convict slipped his goggles over his eyes before standing and looking upwards. I followed his line of site to the balcony where Chillingsworth and Junner stood.

"Bravo!" the tall woman breathed. "The grace, the expression, the sheer violence of it. Exquisite."

I knew I had to have been staring at her like she was a nutball and I could almost guarantee the others had the same expression on their faces. Glancing at Riddick, I immediately noticed his clenched jaw and inwardly winced. _He was pissed._

"Give-" he started lowly and I strained to hear.

"What?" Imam whispered.

"Give me the knife," the convict said.

The holy man slowly reached for the shiv still buried in the creature's body, most likely forgetting that I had given him one of my knives. Luckily, the basket case above us was too wrapped up in her own perverse excitement to notice much else.

"Such a complete and thorough performance!" She just couldn't seem to stop and it was beyond disturbing. "It leaves only one question."

Imam had worked the blade out and was waiting for the right moment to hand it over.

"I got a feeling you're not gonna like it," Jack said under her breath, making me snort. I quickly put an end to that though when my ribs twinged in pain. Yes, definitely bruised, but not badly.

Chillingsworth closed her eyes as if to savor whatever was coming next, giving Imam the opportunity to toss Riddick the blade. The woman reopened her eyes, the maniacal gleam obvious.

"How will I ever have you mounted to do it justice?" she mused.

My eyes widened as Riddick raised the shiv up to his neck, poised right over the spot where Junner had injected the explosive.

"What are you-no!" Chillingsworth immediately realized what he was about to do and panicked, turning towards her table.

The convict started digging the charge out with a wince, the rest of us watching in morbid fascination. I swallowed down the bile that threatened to rise as he pulled out the small device.

"You gonna keep that?" Jack asked, her face pale as Chillingsworth finally got a hold of her remote.

"Looks like you'll have to be an abstract piece," she announced coldly.

Riddick was already prepared and threw the explosive, yelling, "Down! Now!"

The three of us quickly dove for cover, Riddick running a few steps before the crazy bitch hit the detonator. He was knocked off his feet from the blast, smoke and debris filling this side of the pit. I coughed and got to my feet, grabbing Jack by the back of her shirt. The explosion had blown a hole through the wall and I knew that was our escape route.

"Come on!" I ordered, Jack and I grabbing Riddick's arm and pulling him to his feet.. The large man groaned, stumbling slightly as he fully came around. "Let's go, Riddick!"

He stood, Imam already making a beeline for the hole. We ran after him, plunging into the darkness as Chillingsworth's voice rose in anger.

"All of them! Even the 'Golls! Any man or thing that can hold a weapon! Every last one!"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: My goodness it's been a while. So, so sorry! Lots of action in this chapter. Close to the end, so hold tight. The last chapter is going to be awesome and I'm super excited. :) A huge, HUGE thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. I really didn't expect this much of a response and I love you guys for it. No worries, I won't ever abandon the story, but no regular updates as of right now. Alright, onward to the usual disclaimer: I don't own the Riddick franchise or the character, but damn would I love to. Yum.**

Chapter 6

Jumping into the hole was akin to jumping into the unknown. My eyes barely had time to adjust to the dim lighting before Riddick, now fully alert, urged us to run. So we did, the pain in my side getting worse by the minute. Bruised ribs were just as painful as broken ones, but I knew if I wanted to live there was no stopping, so I clenched my jaw and kept moving, following the convict who led us through corridor after corridor, our ears straining for any sounds of pursuit. Nothing.

Chillingsworth was beyond furious and I honestly thought she would make good on her 'Beauty and the Beast' vision if we got caught, and we would be stuck in an eternity of being more dead than alive. I suppressed a shiver at the thought.

"Where are we going, Riddick?" Jack panted from behind me.

"Lookin' for a way out," he answered shortly. "Find a skiff or something."

That sounded almost impossible at this point, but I kept my mouth shut. The man seemed to bend the laws of what was possible and what wasn't. I trusted him to figure it out – after all, what choice did I really have?

"Heads up," Riddick warned. We were in a corridor and I couldn't see anything putting us in immediate danger.

"What the-" One second my boots were pounding on the metal floor and the next I was floating in midair as we hit non-gravity. "Fucking great."

"The gravity must be off in the part of the vessel," Imam muttered. "At least our footsteps will now be silent."

"So will whoever follows us," Jack pointed out sagely. _Good point_.

"Less talking, keep moving," Riddick ordered, pushing off a wall and continuing down the hallway. We all followed suit, Jack struggling a bit with the new feeling – she obviously wasn't used to a zero gravity environment. I didn't have much experience either, but every little bit helped and I quickly found a rhythm, allowing me to keep up with the two men in front of me.

Sailing through an archway, we continued deeper into the bowels of the ship, the lighting getting even worse, if possible. _I really, really fucking hope we don't get stuck in the dark again._ It did seem to be a trend lately, though, so I wouldn't be that surprised if it did happen.

"Oomph!" I stumbled and almost fell as we suddenly entered an area that most definitely had gravity, but managed to steady myself just in time. I had no clue as to where we were, but from the looks of it, we seemed to be in a possible storage area. Pieces of scrap metal, piping, and other miscellaneous parts lay everywhere, causing our speed to drop a little as we sometimes had to climb over an object blocking our way.

"Not that I'm complaining, but where is everyone?" I asked, keeping my voice low and moving closer to Imam and Riddick.

Jack was struggling over a large piece of metal when a loud roar echoed throughout the ship, causing the hair on my neck to stand on end. The floor shuddered and I swallowed heavily. "Nevermind."

"What the hell was that?" Jack hissed, quickly scrambling over her obstacle to stand with us.

"Don't move," Riddick answered lowly, his body tense and slightly crouched. We immediately obeyed, waiting, listening. After a beat, he straightened and looked around. "We need to go up. Now. Don't know what the fuck they got, but I don't think we wanna stay here and find out."

I heartily agreed and trailed behind him as he searched for a way out.

"Here."

A large pile of extra piping and scrap metal lay in a haphazard pile in one part of the room, the top reaching upward to another level. I eyed the pile dubiously as Imam started to climb first, but all the oddball scraps made plenty of hand and footholds. When he moved up far enough, I followed. Reach, grab, pull. The going wasn't as bad as I expected and we managed to scale the wall fairly quickly and easily, Imam rolling over the top ledge, and then leaning over, hand extended to help me up the rest of the way. I winced as my ribs scraped the ledge, but bit my tongue. Imam and I reached down to haul him over, the larger man turning back around to reach for Jack.

A sudden bright light froze us in our tracks, a group of mercs appearing below us. _Shit!_

"What the-" one of the male mercs exclaimed. That was the cue - gunfire ripped through air, Imam and I ducking for cover. I heard Riddick grunt in pain before Jack was unceremoniously dumped over his shoulder, the convict inching our way.

"You're badly hurt," Imam said worriedly. Scanning the large man, I saw blood on the side of his shoulder and furrowed my brow.

"Him?" Jack said in disbelief, "He almost tore me in half!"

I arched an eyebrow in direction as I checked on Riddick's arm.

"Just a graze this time," he dismissed. He was right - the bullet barely got him. Lucky bastard. "Let's go."

Shouts and curses drifted our way and we pushed on, vaulting over debris until we finally hit flat ground, breaking into a run. Another hair-raising roar ripped through the ship, sounding closer this time.

"What the fuck is that thing?" I gasped, pressing my arm against my side to try and alleviate some of the jarring movement from running.

"Something I don't want the pleasure of meeting," Imam panted and I whole heartedly agreed. Riddick glanced over his shoulder, then came to a sudden stop, causing me to plow straight into his back. I stumbled backwards from the force and fell into Imam, both of us going down with an ungraceful thud.

"The hell, Riddick?" I snapped, pissed and slightly embarrassed as I scrambled off of Imam.

"We cannot stop," the holy man reminded him as he rose to his feet.

"We're not outrunning this thing," the convict stated, turning around. "Not the four of us."

It took a second to sink in, but when it did, Imam and I turned to look at Jack, who was bent over, her hands on her knees, panting heavily. Realizing that we were staring at her, she straightened up, a panicked look crossing her face. "What? No, I can keep up!"

"Maybe someday," Riddick replied, not unkindly, looking upwards. I followed his line of sight and saw that we were standing under a docking bay. "Get to the flight deck."

"It's just aft, upper level," Imam confirmed after a glance upwards.

"Yeah. Stow in there" – Riddick pointed to a sheltered area – "and let whatever's following pass." The three of us obeyed, squeezing into the shadowed hiding spot and crouching down. He continued his instructions, "When it does, make for the flight deck and don't look back, no matter what you hear."

I swallowed heavily, my tongue feeling thick in my mouth. I had no idea what his exact plans were, but the way he spoke made it seem like he might not make it back. _Don't be whiny_ , my inner self snapped. _That man is like a damn cat with never-ending lives…he'll be fine._

"We'll wait for you," Jack assured and I turned my attention back to the conversation.

Riddick turned away and started walking in the direction we had been running in. "Follow Imam."

"What are you going to do?" Jack called after his retreating form, a hint of desperation in her voice. I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. This felt like déjà vu, taking me back onto the planted we escaped from. When the convict didn't answer, Jack sat back down with a huff.

My head jerked up and I opened my eyes as multiple footsteps headed our way. We stayed perfectly still as four mercs ran by us, one of them suddenly stopping. _No, no no._ We waiting with baited breath, not daring to move a muscle. A moment passed, the lone merc's footsteps fading as he ran to catch up with the others. A sigh of relief escaped my lips, Jack immediately whispering, "Now where do we gotta go to meet up with Ridd-" Imam's hand over her mouth cut her off midsentence.

"Jack, shh!"

The holy man hesitantly peered around the corner as heavy, metallic thuds came our way. The floor beneath us shuddered and I covered my own mouth to make sure no noise escaped. Jack's eyes were wide as saucers.

A hulking creature lumbered into view, it's visage so grotesque and distorted that I felt my own eyes widen in shock. We only had a quick glimpse, enough to see metal limbs connected to twisted flesh, fresh blood staining it's sides. _For fuck's sake, I just wanted to get to New Mecca, not deal with all this crazy bullshit!_ I groaned inwardly. The creature continued on its hunt, not daring to even breath until we were certain it was gone.

Imam cautiously poked his head out before rising, Jack and I following him into the open.

"Okay, let's get out of here," I said, Imam nodding his agreement before setting off into a jog. I followed, glancing behind me to make sure no one was following us, then stopped. Jack was still standing there, looking in the direction everyone had gone. Imam realized we weren't following and came back, standing beside me.

"We've got to help him, Imam," Jack pleaded. "We can't help him if we leave. Come on, Eris."

Imam and I shared an uncomfortable glance before he walked towards her, a resigned look on his face.

"Sometimes, that is exactly how it works," he said quietly, Jack squeezing her eyes shut. She opened them, blinking back visible tears, her pleading gaze landing on me.

"Imam is right, Jack," I said heavily. "I want nothing more than to help, but Riddick has to do this one on his own. He'll be fine, he's the Big Bad, remember?"

The young girl slowly nodded, obviously not liking our logic, but realizing there wasn't anything we could do at this point.

"Let's go," I said, jogging towards the flight deck and hopefully towards freedom.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: We're nearing the end…probably three chapters left, give or take. More action ahead – the entire movie was pretty much nonstop action, which sucks for Riddick/Eris development, but I do think it's vital for their relationship. Nothing like people trying to kill you to bring you closer together lol. As always, a big thank you for my reviewers and those who have favorited/followed. And, of course, the usual disclaimer that I don't own Riddick or anything affiliated with the franchise…but I sure wish I did.**

Chapter 7

Eyes peeled and ears open for any sign of life, we cautiously searched for a way up. Since Riddick had left us, we hadn't heard anything, which had me both worried and suspicious. It was almost too quiet.

"Look, Eris," Imam stopped by a set of metal rungs that disappeared into an upward shaft.

"You think this is it?" I asked him, craning my head back to squint into the tunnel.

"We'll have to try, we are running out of options," he pointed out.

"Alright then," I replied. "You go first; I'll take up the rear."

The holy man nodded and started climbing, Jack right behind him. I took one last scan of the area, making sure that everything was clear, before following the other two. The shaft wasn't cramped and had enough light to see without straining our eyes, which was a relief. It wasn't a long climb, Imam reaching the top and lifting the cover before disappearing from view.

"Come on, Jack, get your ass out of my way," I griped good naturedly.

"I'm hurrying," she grumbled, picking up the pace.

Smiling to myself, I paused to look down, double checking that we weren't followed. _Thank God._ I resumed climbing just as Jack cried out. I snapped my head up in time to see her yanked through the opening, her cry becoming strangled. _What the fuck?!_ I hurriedly climbed to the top, cautiously raising my head out. _Motherfucking shit._

Junner stood with his back towards me, holding a struggling Jack by her throat. Imam lay a few feet away, eyes closed, and I mentally sighed in relief at the steady rise and fall of his chest. Jaw clenched, I slowly pulled myself out of the hole and slid my knife out of my boot, creeping up behind the tall man, catching a glimpse of Jack flipping him the bird even as her eyes start to flutter from lack of oxygen. _That's my girl._

Knowing that this would probably end badly, I took a small breath before dropping into a sweeping kick, knocking Junner's legs from underneath him and causing him to let go of Jack, who hacked as she gulped air into her lungs. Springing backwards, I watched warily as he gracefully rose to his feet, casually straightening his stupid glasses.

"Hmm. A pleasant surprise," he drawled, eyes raking me up and down.

"Wish I could say the same," I retorted, gripping my knife just a bit tighter.

He struck without warning, a kick aimed at my head hitting my shoulder instead, as I quickly rolled out of the way, albeit clumsily. Rising to my feet, I immediately dodged a punch, swiftly ducking under his arm to slash _anywhere_ near his torso, forcing him to take a step back. Risking a glance at the other two, I saw Imam still out for the count and Jack not far behind. _Great. Guess I'm lone wolfing this one._

Moving faster than I expected, Junner lunged forward and I sidestepped just enough for his fist to graze my cheekbone instead of taking a full punch to the face. _Too close!_ Trying to force down my rising panic, I took a swipe at his extended arm, feeling semi-triumphant as he twisted away, red appearing on his white coat.

"Not bad," he appraised in his oily voice, glancing at his bloodied arm. I didn't answer, instead gritting my teeth, eyes darting around, trying to find anything else I could use as a weapon. I was small and everything about him was long – my knife required close contact and I had been lucky so far. He wasn't as good as Riddick, but he was good enough that I was beginning to realize I probably wouldn't be alive much longer; he was obviously toying with me.

We began again, though this time around I just concentrated on not getting hit. He was coming at me with kicks and punches so fast that I barely had time to dodge or deflect – he was purposely wearing me down. _Fuck this._ Knowing that I couldn't do this for much longer, I ducked under a punch and dove in, my knife glinting in the fluorescent lights as I desperately aimed at his face. The tip caught, a thin, red line appearing on his white skin from below his eye to his jaw.

"Enough!" he bellowed, a backhand to the face sending me to the floor. Vision slightly blurred, I struggled to rise, then screamed in pain as I was grabbed by my hair and lifted off the ground. My knife was wrenched from my grasp and placed at my throat, Junner's breath on my ear. "I'm impressed – you have potential, but you're wasting my time."

Removing the knife and spinning me around, his hand roughly gripping the back of my neck, Junner replaced the blade to its previous position against my neck and smirked down at me. I saw my face reflected in his glasses and was amazed to see how calm I looked; inside I was terrified. _Well, if I was going to die…_

"Nice face," I taunted, my eyes flicking to the cut I inflicted. I froze as pressure was applied to the blade, his eyes narrowing dangerously, and felt a sharp, burning sensation, a warm trickle of blood slowly sliding down my neck.

"Pity about that mouth of yours," Junner growled, pushing harder.

"Let her go."

I didn't move for fear of Junner slicing my throat completely open, but I couldn't help the relieved whimper that clawed its way out at the arrival of a familiar, gravel voice. _Riddick._ The man in front of me paused, then removed the blade, letting it and me fall to the ground. I immediately put a hand to my neck, trying to staunch the bleeding. The wound hurt like hell, but I was too relieved to be alive and too hyped on adrenaline to really feel it. I had the sense to grab my knife before scooting back towards Imam and Jack as Riddick approached, the look on his face promising pain.

It's me you're after," he rumbled, punching his hand. "You want a shot at the title?"

I watched as Junner removed his coat and unsheathed the blade from his gun, withdrawing the sword; Riddick already had his shiv ready. The two men stood still, assessing each other. This was going to be a fight to the death and it wasn't going to be pretty.

 _Oh, God._


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Usual disclaimer…don't own Riddick. Hope everyone had wonderful holidays! The next chapter is the last one! We're about done, guys and gals. I posted this chapter twice, so sorry if you get another notification for it. I didn't like how I ended it and after starting on the next chapter, I realized it wouldn't work out how I wanted it to, so here you go. This one is the longest yet, but it had to be done.**

Chapter 8

The two men were temporarily still, assessing each other. Even in my biased position, I'd put my money on Riddick – his rage was almost tangible. I sucked in a sharp breath when he made the first move, the deadly dance beginning. Knowing I couldn't do anything to help, I reluctantly tore my eyes away from the fight and scooted over to Imam, shaking his shoulder. "Imam, wake up!"

He groaned, slowly regaining consciousness. Satisfied that he was up, I glanced at Jack's still form and decided to leave her for now. Knowing her tendency to rush into things, I figured having her awake wouldn't be the best of ideas.

"What's going on?" Imam hissed, crawling over to crouch beside me. "What happened to you?"

Watching the fight in my peripheral vision, I gave the holy man a quick rundown of what happened and didn't protest when he took my hand away from my neck to inspect the wound.

"It isn't very deep," he whispered, "might scar, might not. I don't think you'll need stiches."

I closed my eyes in relief and put my hand back on the wound to keep the blood at bay, even though the movement made it sting like a bitch. A dull thud and groan snapped my eyes back open to see what was happening. The two men were moving in a blur, their attacks so fast I could barely keep up with who was hitting who. Junner was closely matched with Riddick in skill and I knew if he won we were all dead. _Come on, Riddick_ , I encouraged silently, nervously biting the nails on my other hand.

I gasped when the two men ended up in a locked position, Junner breaking it with a kick that sent Riddick's shiv flying out of his hand. The convict wasted no time in retaliating, Junner's sword skittering across the floor a few seconds later, the both of them brutally going all out with their fists and bodies. I winced when Junner landed a good kick that sent Riddick crashing into a pile of crates. I reached out to grab my forgotten knife until Junner picked up his sword and pointed it in my direction, shaking his head. "Tsk, tsk."

I retracted my hand and watched helplessly as the tall man advanced on the fallen convict, my breath catching as he took a swing. Riddick rolled out of the way just in time, grabbing a thick cable laying on the ground and flipping a loop around Junner's neck, the muscles in his arms bulging as he tightened the makeshift noose. I felt a grim satisfaction watching the asshole choke, Riddick pulling the cable even tighter. In a sudden move, Junner brought his sword up and through the cable, plunging the room into darkness. Not daring to make a noise so as not to distract Riddick, I strained my ears. All I could hear was ragged breathing, then a sudden crunch.

"Aghhhhhh!"

Falling onto my ass in surprise, I grabbed blindly for Imam's arm at the bone chilling scream, not knowing who had gone down and fearing the worst. _Please, please, please….not Riddick._ A low hum filled the room followed by red emergency lights, just in time for us to see Junner's lifeless body hit the floor, Riddick's shiv buried in his eye.

"I told you that was coming," Riddick muttered to the dead man, his goggles perched atop his head. I felt tears of relief and who knows what else prick my eyes as Imam rose to his feet, then helped me to mine. Guess we'd be living another day. The convict snapped his head in our direction, his shined eyes zeroing in on me. The intensity in them almost made me take a step back, especially when he purposefully started striding my way. He looked like tired and was holding his one arm like it was injured, but as soon as he got close enough, his large hand grasped my chin and gently tilted my head up, the other hand removing mine from the wound.

"Imam said it wasn't too bad," I offered quietly, the holy man silent somewhere to my right. Riddick's uncovered eyes flicked to mine before going back to my neck, rough fingers gently probing. I hissed, tears of pain gathering in my eyes.

"With your skin, it's going to scar," he murmured. I wanted to be disappointed, but couldn't bring myself to really care. I was lucky to be alive, fuck some scar. I'd deal. "It isn't deep enough for stiches, but the bleeding needs to stop before we can glue it."

"I've been trying to keep some pressure on it," I said as he let go of my chin and started to take of his tank. "Wait, what are you doing?"

 _Are you seriously complaining about having a shirtless Riddick right smack in front of you Eris?_ I ignored my subconscious and watched as the convict ripped his tank into two long pieces. He slung one over his shoulder before motioning for me to pull my hair up. I obeyed, trying to keep my movements as still as possible – any sudden movement felt like fire at my throat. Trying to ignore his beautiful upper body, my breath hitched when he leaned in and began to quickly wrap my neck. His large body completely dwarfed mine and I involuntarily shuddered when his fingers grazed the back of my neck. He paused, then continued wrapping, tucking the loose piece under the last layer. _How can such a rough man be so gentle?_ I wondered in awe as he stepped back, staring at me as I let my hair tumble down.

The moment was broken by a suspicious sounding cough from Imam. We looked over to see him cradling a still unconscious Jack in his arms. I hurried over to his side, gently patting the young girl's face, slightly worried when she didn't stir.

"Where are you going?" Imam asked, making me glance up. Riddick was walking over to the closest shuttle, holding onto his arm again.

"Gonna prep this ship and get off this heap," came his gravelly reply.

"So we can escape?" Imam asked, putting emphasis on the 'we' part. I sent him a look that he ignored. Riddick motioned with his bad arm and Imam brightened, making me chuckle. Jack started to stir, so I helped Imam prop her up while Riddick opened the door. "It is over. We have survived."

The holy man and I shared a smile, then we heard something I had hoped to never, ever hear again. I quickly turned to the ship as the hangar echoed with a feminine cackle. Chillingsworth, looking totally unglued and more insane than usual, stood with a gun levelled at Riddick.

"Back to hell with you, you bloody stinking savage!" she screeched, finger moving onto the trigger.

Before I could think, I was in motion, a small explosion going off close to my head as I tackled the woman to the ground. A cry escaped my throat from the pain at the sudden movement, but my focus was quickly redirected to the woman beneath me, who was clawing at me like a rabid animal.

"And you!" she shrieked, her long nails trying to find a spot to dig in, "You could have been beautiful! Forever!"

"Fuck you bitch!" I snarled, maneuvering so I was straddling her stomach, my fist connecting with her face again and again. Adrenaline pumping, I managed a number of good hits – she was _really_ going to need some surgery after this – before her flailing nails finally succeeded in sinking a hit, right into the wound on my neck. Screaming in pain, I rolled off of her, my hands automatically covering my neck where I felt warm liquid seep through Riddick's makeshift bandage. Even with her face completely tore up, Chillingsworth wasted no time in rising to her knees, her gun aimed at me. I closed my eyes. _This is it._

The gun went off and I swear time stopped. Everything seemed amplified…my heart beat, my harsh breathing…was I dead? I cracked one eye open and sighed in relief. I was still alive.

"Eris!"

My eyes focused on Imam's horrified gaze, then slid over to Jack's trembling form, holding Junner's smoking gun. I didn't even look to see what was left of Chillingsworth.

"I'm-" I started, before Jack shakily interrupted. "Yeah, we made it."

"Awfully uncivilized thing you did there, Jack," Riddick rumbled close to my ear. An arm under my shoulders, then my legs, before I felt myself lifted into the air.

"I can walk, you know," I grumbled halfheartedly, remembering Riddick's injured arm. His reply was a classic grunt as we boarded the ship, Imam and Jack following.

Smoothly setting me onto the bench behind the captain's chair, Riddick then moved into his seat and started the ship while Imam shut the door. Jack sat down beside me and I gathered her into a hug, Junner's gun clattering to the floor. "Thank you," I whispered, kissing the top of her head and then laying my cheek on her hair. She didn't reply, just hugged me tighter.

I kept my eyes closed as the ship took off and we left the Kubla Khan behind us. We were alive. I opened my eyes as Jack pulled away and wrapped her arms around her middle. "Hey, you okay?" She nodded, her body sagging slightly. I gingerly stood and walked over to a wall of metal drawers, opening each one until I found what I was looking for.

"Here," I said, returning to the bench and crouching beside it, a pillow and blanket in my hands. Jack sent me a small smile before taking the pillow and laying down, her head nuzzling the fabric in a cat-like motion. Hiding my grin, I stood up and unfolded the blanket, draping the cloth over her body and pulling the end up to her chin.

"Eris?" she asked softly, peering at me over the blanket's edge. "C-can I have the gun?"

I felt the grin slide off my face and quickly schooled my expression into one of forced calm. In all honesty, I was more than a little concerned with her reaction to killing someone, or lack thereof. My first time had me an emotional wreck and physically ill, even though it was done in self-defense…Jack was upset, I knew, but her apathetic attitude worried me, a lot. A quick glance at Imam, who had sat on the bench across from us, showed that his eyes mirrored my train of thought.

"I guess so," I replied hesitantly, picking up the weapon off the floor and handing it to the girl. It disappeared underneath the blanket and Jack closed her eyes with a sigh. I exchanged a wary look with Imam, then moved back over to the shelves, this time gathering medical supplies for my neck and whatever injuries Riddick might've sustained. I found some wipes and set to work thoroughly scrubbing the dried blood off my hands.

"Imam, take control," the convict instructed and I wondered how he knew what I had been doing, when he hadn't even turned around. _Man must have eyes in the back of his damn head._ Imam and Riddick switched spots, the larger man approaching the table where I had laid out all the supplies.

"What happened to your arm?" I asked when he stopped beside me, surveying the spread.

"Asshole landed a good kick," he answered vaguely, grabbing a bottle of antiseptic and a couple of gauze pads. "It'll heal in a few days."

"Right," I said, eyeing the bottle dubiously. "That's going to sting like a sonofabitch, isn't it?"

"Yep."

"Great," I grumbled, perching on the table and lifting my chin to give him access to my neck. I just rolled with him playing doctor and didn't ask why, not sure if I wanted to know the answer. Things between us had seemingly shifted once again and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I _had_ just saved his life, so maybe this was just his way of saying thank you. _Quit overthinking shit, woman._

The convict stepped in-between my legs and started unwrapping my pseudo bandage, tugging gently where it was stuck to my skin from dried blood. I lifted my hair off my neck to get it out of his way, wincing at each tug. He said I wouldn't need stiches, but that was before Chillingsworth clawed me and I was keeping my fingers crossed that his prior diagnosis was the same.

The ship was silent as Riddick reached for a small bottle of water, uncapping it and splashing it against the cloth. "Last layer, don't wanna rip the skin off," he explained, some of the water dribbling down my neck and in-between my breasts. I stared at a random point over his shoulder, gritting my teeth as he peeled away the last of his tank and tossed it onto the table. "You're lucky. She got the edge. No stitches."

I closed my eyes in relief, then quickly opened them when I felt Riddick's warm – and still bare – chest press up against my front as he reached over me to grab something off the table. My breath caught and our gazes met, his shined eyes boring into mine. He withdrew, a small tube in his hand. "What is that?"

"Medical glue," he replied, placing it on my leg and opening the antiseptic. He ripped open the gauze pads with his teeth, spitting the small pieces of plastic onto the floor. "Get ready."

I braced myself as he poured the antiseptic over the pads and placed them on my neck, almost squealing from the cold and sudden sting. Without thinking, my hands came up to grab his sides, my nails digging into the skin as I bit my lip to keep from screaming. Call me a pussy, but the cleanser hurt almost as bad as Chillingsworth scraping me. "Fuck!" I hissed, digging my nails further into his sides as he cleaned the edges. I felt his body shudder and inwardly grinned over the pain. Ha. At least I knew I wasn't the only one affected in whatever the hell it was we had going on.

"Don't move," Riddick ordered, dropping the bloody gauze onto the table and picking up the tube that still rested on my leg. I obeyed, keeping perfectly still as he applied the glue, his fingers holding the skin together. "This will probably have to be reapplied in a day or so, depending on how still you stay."

I snorted at that, one corner of his lip curling upwards. He capped the tube, and then wrapped my neck in proper gauze bandages, finishing it off with medical tape. "Thanks," I said softly, and then realizing that I was still holding onto him, let my hands drop into my lap. My eyes darted down to his sides and I felt them widen when I saw the red crescent shapes my nails had left in his skin. "Oh, shit, I'm so sorry!"

Riddick chuckled and placed both arms on either side of me, effectively trapping me. "Don't be," he purred.

I swallowed, his eyes piercing mine. I felt the familiar warmth pool in my lower abdomen and tried not to fidget. Before I could blink, his lips were on my mine, one of his hands coming up to lightly grab the back of my neck and hold me still. I placed my hands on his chest, my nails gently scraping the skin, Riddick releasing a low growl of pleasure. I felt the rumble as his chest pressed against mine, the table at a perfect height for our bodies to align and make up the height difference, though my head still only reached his chin. _This is amazing,_ I thought dazedly, his teeth scraping over my lower lip. I whimpered into his mouth as whatever space had been between us vanished, his arm wrapping around me and pulling me flush against him.

A loud snore ripped through the silence, both of us jerking in surprise. Jack shifted on the bench and mumbled something unintelligible, causing me to smile. Riddick dropped a kiss onto the corner of my lip and withdrew, an obvious bulge in his pants that made me heat up all over again. "You should let me clean your cut," I said, clearing my throat when it cracked. I gestured to his eye. "You've got a decent gash above your eye."

He seemed to have a short internal struggle before he nodded. I twisted around, grabbing the antiseptic and clean pads, the convict moving forward to step between my legs again, though not as close as before. I quickly wet the gauze and reached up to wipe off the crusted blood, Riddick closing his eyes and bending forward slightly. The wound wasn't deep and wouldn't need glue, so I finished in record time, making sure to show the same gentle courtesy he had shown me. "All done."

Riddick opened his eyes and straightened, flashing me a genuine, breathtakingly sexy smile. I shook my head and slid off the table, gathering all the used supplies and throwing them away. A drawer shut behind me and I turned to see Riddick pulling a brand new black tank over his head. "How the hell do you keep finding clothes?"

He shrugged and didn't reply, just nudged me in front of him, towards Imam. I slipped into the co-pilot's chair while the two men exchanged seats, Imam sitting on the bench behind me.

"Riddick." The holy man kept his voice down so as not to wake Jack.

"Trouble?" the convict asked, lounging in the captain's chair.

"Yes. It is nothing back there," Imam replied. "What worries me lies ahead of us."

My eyes slid to Jack's sleeping form and I immediately knew what he meant.

"Jack," Riddick said flatly.

"I am concerned for her, Riddick, that she'll become-"

"Like me," Riddick interrupted.

I sighed and met Imam's worried gaze. Who knew what direction Jack would take. I couldn't stick around for long and I knew Riddick had promised her only one night. She'd be left with Imam, and I had no doubt he'd take her in, but it would fall on his shoulders to try and keep her on the straight and narrow.

The computer beeped, Imam and I leaning forward a bit to see the screen better. I caught a glimpse of the words 'UV system' before Riddick flipped a switch showing New Mecca on Helion Prime.

"What is that place?" Imam asked, referring to the earlier readout. I slumped back in my seat, trying to get comfortable, already knowing the answer.

"That's nowhere," Riddick replied shortly. "I'm dropping you guys off on New Mecca and staying for one night, only because I promised the girl I would."

"Aw, how sweet," I teased halfheartedly.

The large man shot me an unamused look, dropping his goggles back over his eyes. "Get some rest."

I heard Imam sigh and lay down on the bench behind me. Closing my eyes, I curled up in my chair, my head laying on the armrest closest to Riddick. At least these seats were a little bigger than the ones on our last ship and a bit comfier, too. I felt a weight on my head and tensed. "Relax." I obeyed, my body slowly going slack as Riddick ran his fingers through my hair, the wonderful feeling lulling me to sleep.


End file.
